Carrentals.co.uk Strengthens Position with Q1 Growth

22 May 2009

Despite the credit crunch, car hire comparator Carrentals.co.uk is continuing its growth, with the company 50% ahead of its budgeted revenue target for the first quarter of 2009 and year on year revenue up 30%. The company, which generated over £16m of car rental sales in the year to January 2009, is continuing to grow its share of the market - despite difficult trading conditions for the travel sector.

The success has been achieved in just six years, since the site first launched in 2003. Originally launched as a car hire broker, in 2007 Carrentals.co.uk re-launched to become a car hire comparison site and won Best Car Hire Website in the 2008 Travolution Awards, and Best Ski Car Rental in the 2008/09 Good Ski Guide Oscars.

Managing Director Gareth Robinson, said: “Demand for the first quarter has consistently been ahead of target. This success underlines the quality of the service we offer, with our CPA-based comparison model offering a fairer system to suppliers and wider choice and more competitive prices to customers.”

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Carrentals.co.uk now compares prices from up to 35 rental providers in over 9,000 locations - more than any other comparator. Its cost per acquisition (CPA) approach ensures rental companies receive a fairer, more cost effective service with no pay-per-click; while customers enjoy a wider choice of low prices as more car hire providers can afford to appear on the site.

Carrentals.co.uk is regularly in the top 10 most visited car hire websites in the Hitwise reports - recently ranking at No. 5 with almost 5% of UK traffic*. The company’s customer focus has also seen repeat bookings reach 15% - underlining the service and value for money provided.

Gareth added: “Many travel companies are finding trading conditions tough at the moment. Those who are performing well and who will survive are the ones who are focused on offering customers the best choice and prices. We make it easy for visitors to compare rental prices from both leading providers and specialist companies. We keep it simple and user friendly, and we will continue to develop the site to ensure the best possible customer experience.”

Carrentals.co.uk compares prices from companies including Alamo, Budget, EasyCar, Ebookers, Hertz, Holiday Autos, Opodo, Sixt, Thrifty and their own Carrentals.co.uk prices. Visitors to the site can search and compare the best deals on car hire, before transferring to the supplier’s site to make their booking.